Pumpkin & chestnut strudel with taleggio and sage

Surely you don't need me to tell you this, but it's Halloween today. The pagan tradition where snotty kids come round to your house every five minutes, daring you to smell their feet (or give them something good to eat) - I usually opt for the latter.
I am in two minds about this tradition, especially when you see kids dressed up as princesses and pirates, rather than something spooky - don't they know the difference between Halloween and Carnival? There aren't many people around here who could be bothered to carve pumpkins either (and I have to say I haven't done mine yet and am feeling the pain!) and many don't have any treats ready for the children, even though the special offers for fun-sized sweets (buy 17, get one free) are very much in your face at every supermarket. I've had some greedy little buggers come to my door and when they see what we have to offer, they quickly dive into the bowl and run off with a months' provision of sugar... one day I'll be sued for contributing to their cardiac arrest!
But I grudgingly bear it and play along, traditions are something which should be observed and it's fun to follow them even if they're not your own - at least when you have kids.
And while I slave in the kitchen to hollow out that pumpkin before it gets dark, here's a recipe for you to enjoy: pumpkin and chestnut strudel, wonderfully smoky with some roast garlic, spectacularly creamy courtesy of some taleggio cheese and sweet as it should be with roast pumpkin and chestnuts - it doesn't get more seasonal than that!

Pumpkin & chestnut strudel with taleggio and sage
(serves 4 as a light meal)

375 g pack of ready-rolled puff pastry
500 g pumpkin meat
10 garlic cloves (peeled)
10 medium sage leaves (finely chopped)
100 g roast chestnuts (roughly chopped)
120 g taleggio (Italian soft cheese)
salt, pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C.
Dice the pumpkin meat (ca. 2-3 cm) and spread out on a lined baking tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove. In the last 10 minutes, add the garlic cloves.
Spread out the puff pastry on a non-stick baking tray, spread all the ingredients for the filling in the middle of the pastry, lengthwise, to cover roughly a third of it. Season to taste.
Fold the two "wings" of the pastry over the filling and close firmly by pressing the dough ends together between your fingers.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.

Serve immediately with some salad on the side.

Comments

[Julie O'Hara]

Johanna,
I just have to say that I love this recipe. Seriously, squash, chestnuts, sage and taleggio (and of course garlic!) are some of my favorite things. I always perk up when I see recipes with chestnuts. This could also make a good risotto...

[Jeanne]

Mmmmm, this looks heavenly! Anything containing pumpkin or squash gets my vote, but even more so when it also contains cheese :-) Sounds like a great combination and I agree with the previosu commenter that it should make a spectacular risotto.

[simonetta]

Too busy organising the Halloween raid with 10 kids to cook yesterday... but it's a great recipe for every day of the newly budding cold winter!